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2013-2014-2015
THE PARLIAMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AUSTRALIAN CRIME COMMISSION AMENDMENT (CRIMINOLOGY
RESEARCH) BILL 2015
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
(Circulated by authority of the
Minister for Justice, the Hon Michael Keenan MP)
AUSTRALIAN CRIME COMMISSION AMENDMENT (CRIMINOLOGY
RESEARCH) BILL 2015
GENERAL OUTLINE
1. The purpose of this Bill is to amend the Australian Crime Commission Act 2002
(ACC Act) and repeal the Criminology Research Act 1971 (CR Act) in order to merge the
Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) into the Australian Crime Commission (ACC).
2. This merger brings together Australia's national criminal intelligence and research
capabilities under one banner. Having a unified resource of this type will enrich our national
understanding of criminal activity, including serious and organised crime and terrorism,
allowing police, justice agencies and policy makers at all levels of government to adopt a
more effective, efficient and evidence-based response to crime.
3. Under the proposed merger, the AIC will carry its research functions over to the ACC
(including its ability to undertake commissioned research) and the AIC's corporate functions
will be merged with those of the ACC. The position of AIC Director will be abolished.
4. The Bill comprises two schedules.
5. Schedule 1 makes amendments to the ACC Act. The purpose of the amendments in
this schedule is to enable the merged agency to:
continue to carry out the AIC's research work
share criminological research and information with any person, including the
private sector, and
carry out commissioned research.
6. Schedule 2 repeals the Criminology Research Act to abolish the AIC as a statutory
agency.
7. The specific amendments are detailed below under the heading 'Notes on Clauses'.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
8. The merger will be cost neutral with small savings expected over the forward
estimates.
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STATEMENT OF COMPATIBILITY WITH HUMAN RIGHTS
Prepared in accordance with Part 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011
AUSTRALIAN CRIME COMMISSION AMENDMENT (CRIMINOLOGY
RESEARCH) BILL 2015
9. This Bill is compatible with the human rights and freedoms recognised or declared in
the international instruments listed in section 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary
Scrutiny) Act 2011.
Overview of the Bill
10. The Bill amends the Australian Crime Commission Act 2002 (ACC Act) and repeals
the Criminology Research Act 1971 (CR Act) to merge the functions of the Australian
Institute of Criminology (AIC) into the Australian Crime Commission (ACC).
Human rights implications
11. This Bill engages the right to freedom from unlawful or arbitrary interferences with a
person's privacy under Article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
(ICCPR).
12. Article 17 of the ICCPR accords everyone the right to protection against arbitrary or
unlawful interference with their privacy. Lawful interferences with the right to privacy will
be permitted, provided they are reasonable in the particular circumstances.
The UN Human Rights Committee has interpreted 'reasonableness' in this context to imply
that 'any interference with privacy must be proportional to the end sought and be necessary
in the circumstances of any given case'.1
13. The Bill engages the right to privacy by inserting a new information disclosure regime
into the ACC Act that would supplement the ACC's existing information dissemination
regime and enable the ACC to disclose and publish criminological research and related
information.
14. The ACC Act currently contains strict information sharing provisions that apply to
'ACC information'. 'ACC information' is broadly defined to mean information that is in the
ACC's possession. Given the breadth of this definition, once the AIC is merged into the
ACC, AIC information, AIC data holdings and future criminological research carried out by
the ACC will become 'ACC information' for the purposes of the ACC Act.
15. While the current provisions of the ACC Act would not prevent the ACC from
disclosing and publishing criminological research, they would subject it to stricter conditions
than currently apply under the CR Act.
16. The Bill will insert a new section 59AE into the ACC Act to allow the ACC CEO to
disclose and publish the ACC's criminological research and related information in a similar
manner to which the AIC Director can currently disclose that information under the CR Act.
1
Toonen v Australia, CCPR/C/50/D/488/1992, UN Human Rights Committee (HRC), 4 April 1994.
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17. Where the ACC's criminological research or related information contains personal
information (as defined by the Privacy Act 1988), the new information disclosure regime
will outline additional requirements that must be met before the ACC can disclose that
information. These additional requirements are modelled on the information use and
dissemination provisions of the Privacy Act, particularly Australian Privacy Principle 6.
18. Under these additional requirements, the ACC CEO will be prohibited from
disclosing personal information that was collected for the purpose of criminological research
for another purpose unless:
a) the individual has consented to the use or disclosure
b) the individual would reasonably expect the ACC would use or disclose the
information for the other purpose and that other purpose is:
a. if the information is sensitive information within the meaning of the Privacy
Act--directly related to the purpose for which the information was collected,
or
b. if the information is not sensitive information--related to the purpose for
which the information was collected, or
c) a permitted general situation within the meaning of the Privacy Act exists in relation
to the use or disclosure of the information by the ACC.
19. The creation of a new information disclosure regime for the ACC is reasonable in the
circumstances and proportionate to the aims of the Bill. The requirement that the ACC CEO
may only disclose criminological research and related information containing personal
information in very limited circumstances will ensure that a person's right to privacy is only
affected with their consent, or where they would have a reasonable expectation that their
information would be shared, or where disclosing the information is otherwise required to
achieve the legitimate aims of lessening or preventing a serious threat to the life, health or
safety of any individual or protecting public health and safety. Further, the AIC may
currently disclose research containing personal information in these circumstances.
20. In these circumstances, the Bill creates permissible limitations on the right to privacy.
Conclusion
27. The measures in the Bill are compatible with the human rights and freedoms
recognised or declared in the international instruments listed in the definition of human rights
in section 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011. To the extent that these
measures may limit those rights and freedoms, such limitations are reasonable, necessary and
proportionate.
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NOTES ON CLAUSES
Background
1. This Bill implements the Government's decision to pursue a merger of the Australian
Institute of Criminology (AIC) with the Australian Crime Commission (ACC).
2. The Bill amends the Australian Crime Commission Act 2002 (Cth) (ACC Act) to
enable the ACC to perform the AIC's functions, including carrying out criminology research,
sharing and publishing that research and carrying out commissioned research.
3. The Bill will also repeal the Criminology Research Act 1971 (CR Act) to abolish the
AIC as a statutory agency.
Preliminary
Clause 1 - Short title
4. This clause provides for the Bill to be cited as the Australian Crime Commission
Amendment (Criminology Research) Act 2015 after its enactment.
Clause 2 - Commencement
5. This clause set outs when the various parts of the Bill are to commence.
6. Item 1 in the table provides that the whole of the Act will commence on a day to be
fixed by Proclamation. If the provisions do not commence before 1 July 2016, they will
commence on that day. This is longer than the standard time between Royal Assent and
Proclamation. The beginning of the financial year has been chosen as the most
administratively convenient time for the proposed machinery of government changes to occur
if another date is not fixed by Proclamation.
Clause 3 - Schedules
7. This is a formal clause that provides that the Schedules to the Act amend the Acts as
set out in the relevant Schedule.
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Schedule 1 - Amendments
GENERAL OUTLINE
The purpose of Schedule 1 is to make necessary amendments to the ACC Act to merge the
AIC into the ACC and ensure that the merged agency can carry out the existing functions of
the AIC.
Australian Crime Commission Act 2002
Item 1 - Subsection 4(1)
This item inserts a new definition of 'criminological research' into subsection 4(1) of the
ACC Act. 'Criminological research' is defined to mean research in connection with the
causes, consequences, correction and prevention of criminal behaviour and any related
matter.
This definition reflects the existing definition of criminological research in the CR Act and is
used in later provisions to outline the ACC's new research functions.
Item 2 - Subsection 4(1) (paragraph (i) of the definition of permissible purpose)
This item repeals 'researching criminology' in paragraph (i) of 'permissible purpose' and
replaces it with 'criminological research', for consistency of terms throughout the ACC Act.
Item 3 - Before paragraph 7A(g)
This item inserts a new paragraph (fb) into section 7A of the ACC Act to enable the ACC to
perform the functions currently carried out by the AIC.
Section 7A of the ACC Act sets out the ACC's existing statutory functions. Under this
provision, the ACC already has a legislated function to 'collect and analyse criminal
information'. However, this function requires a link to past, present or future criminality by
any person.
To remove any doubt as to the scope of the ACC's ability to carry out criminological
research, new paragraph 7A(fb) will provide the ACC with a clear power to exercise the
following functions currently performed by the AIC, without necessarily requiring a link with
past, present or future criminality:
conducting criminological research
communicating the results of criminological research
performing other activities related to the conduct of criminological research (such as
holding seminars or compiling crime-related statistics), and
administering programs for awarding grants for criminological research and activities
related to the research, and assisting the recipients of grants in that research or those
activities.
Under the CR Act, the AIC is limited to the objectives of promoting justice and reducing
crime in performing these functions. The ACC's criminological research and related
activities may continue to promote these objectives, but will not be limited to these
objectives.
This Act does not need to confer a new function on the ACC Board to mirror the ACC's new
functions. Under paragraph 7C(1)(b) of the ACC Act, the ACC Board already has the
function of providing strategic direction to the ACC and determining the ACC's priorities.
Following the broadening of the ACC's functions as set out in proposed paragraph 7A(fb),
the Board may provide strategic direction to the ACC in relation to these new functions or
determine the ACC's criminological research priorities under the broad power in paragraph
7C(1)(b). In doing so, the Board may take advice from a non-legislated advisory body that
includes both justice and law enforcement representation.
Item 4 - Before section 16
This item inserts a new section 15B into the ACC Act to enable the ACC to charge fees for
services that it provides in performing any of its functions relating to criminological research,
as set out in new paragraph 7A(fb).
New subsection 15B(2) provides that the fee must not amount to taxation. This means that
the fee must be reasonably related to the cost of providing the service.
New subsection 15B(3) would require that any fee charged for this work would be due to the
Commonwealth, as the ACC is a Commonwealth agency, and would be recoverable by the
ACC, on behalf of the Commonwealth.
New section 15B will enable the ACC to continue to charge for services relating to
criminological research on a fee-for-service basis, as the AIC currently does. The AIC
currently undertakes a significant level of commissioned work for Commonwealth, state and
territory agencies and the private sector, including research projects, surveys, program
evaluations, performance audits, cost-benefit analyses, conferences, secretariat services,
webhosting and other administrative type services. The Government proposes that this work
would continue through the ACC post-merger.
Item 5 - After section 59AD
This item inserts new section 59AE, which will add an additional information disclosure
regime into the ACC Act that will apply specifically to the ACC's criminological research
and related information.
The new information disclosure regime in section 59AE is intended to supplement the ACC's
existing information dissemination regime in section 59AA and section 59AB of the ACC
Act.
Currently, sections 59AA and 59AB contain strict information sharing provisions that apply
to 'ACC information'. 'ACC information' is broadly defined to mean information that is in
the ACC's possession. Given the breadth of this definition, once the AIC is merged into the
ACC, AIC information, AIC data holdings and future criminological research carried out by
the ACC will become 'ACC information' for the purposes of the ACC Act.
While the current provisions of the ACC Act would not prevent the ACC from disclosing and
publishing criminological research, they would subject it to stricter conditions than currently
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apply to the AIC. New subsection 59AE(1) will allow the ACC CEO to disclose and publish
the ACC's criminological research in a similar manner to which the AIC Director can
currently disclose that information under the CR Act.
Under new subsection 59AE(1), the ACC CEO will be able to disclose or publish
criminological research and information related to that research to any person, if disclosing or
publishing that research or information would not be contrary to subsection 25A(9) of the
ACC Act or any other law of the Commonwealth or of a state or territory.
New subsection 59AE(2) will provide additional requirements where the ACC's
criminological research or related information contains 'personal information', as defined by
the Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act).
Under new subsection 59AE(2), the ACC CEO will be prohibited from disclosing personal
information that was collected for the purpose of criminological research for another purpose
unless:
a) the individual has consented to the use or disclosure
b) the individual would reasonably expect the ACC would use or disclose the
information for the other purpose and that other purpose is:
i. if the information is sensitive information within the meaning of the Privacy
Act--directly related to the purpose for which the information was collected,
or
ii. if the information is not sensitive information--related to the purpose for
which the information was collected, or
c) a permitted general situation within the meaning of the Privacy Act exists in relation
to the use or disclosure of the information by the ACC.
For the avoidance of doubt, subsection 59AE(2) is only intended to apply to the new
disclosure regime in section 59AE and should not affect the broader ACC information
disclosure regime in sections 59AA and 59AB of the ACC Act.
These additional requirements are modelled on the information use and dissemination
provisions of the Privacy Act, particularly Australian Privacy Principle 6. It is necessary to
replicate these principles in the Bill, as acts and practices of the ACC are exempt from the
scope of the Privacy Act. Including these additional requirements in the new disclosure
regime will ensure that personal information collected by the ACC for research purposes
remain subject to the same disclosure protections that currently apply to the AIC.
While the Information Commissioner usually investigates breaches of the Privacy Act, he or
she will not have jurisdiction under the ACC Act to investigate potential breaches of the new
information disclosure regime. However, the ACC is subject to a robust accountability
framework, which includes oversight by the Commonwealth Ombudsman, Integrity
Commissioner and Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement. One or all of these
bodies may be able to examine potential breaches of the new regime, depending on the nature
of the complaint.
The Bill does not replicate any further provisions of the Privacy Act. However, the ACC is
an agency that deals with a diverse range of sensitive information, including coercively
obtained information and intelligence, as part of its core business, and is very experienced in
ensuring that that information is appropriately secured and dealt with. As with the other types
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of sensitive information it collects, the ACC will put technical and administrative
mechanisms in place to ensure personal information collected for research purposes is
collected, used and stored appropriately. For example, the ACC's document management
system allows users to lock down content to specific staff to ensure that information can only
be accessed on a need-to-know basis. Other mechanisms that the ACC is considering to
ensure research information is appropriately protected include conducting random audits on
access to that information, and a CEO directive and other internal policies that outline how
research information will be managed.
The ACC will also be subject to the ethical requirements set out by National Health and
Medical Research Committee guidelines for research involving human subjects. These
requirements include the need to obtain informed consent when collecting data from
participants and ensuring unit-record data (which has the potential to identify a single
participant) is only used for research purposes. The AIC Ethics Committee will provide
oversight of the ACC's compliance with these requirements, as is currently the case for the
AIC.
Individuals will also maintain a right to access and correct their own personal information
that the ACC may hold for research purposes through the Freedom of Information Act 1982.
Item 6 - Before section 60
This item inserts new sections 59F, 59G and 59H into the ACC Act to continue the
Criminology Research Special Account (CR Special Account), set out what funds must be
credited to the CR Special Account, and specify the purposes of the CR Special Account.
These provisions are intended to replicate section 46 of the CR Act, with amendments as
required to reflect the merged agency structure.
Section 59F - Criminology Research Special Account
New subsection 59F(1) continues the CR Special Account that was established by section 46
of the CR Act.
New subsection 59F(2) provides that the CR Special Account is a special account for the
purposes of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act)
to make it clear that the relevant provisions of the PGPA Act apply to the CR Special
Account.
Maintenance of the CR Special Account will ensure that the ACC can continue to manage the
funds associated with commissioned research across financial years, as the AIC currently
does. Using a special account is advantageous as criminological research projects often
extend for significant periods of time.
Section 59G - Credits to the CR Special Account
New section 59G sets out the funds that must be credited to the CR Special Account. These
are:
a) amounts appropriated by the Parliament for the purposes of the CR Special Account
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b) amounts paid by a State to the ACC for the purpose of performing functions related to
criminological research
c) amounts received by the ACC in relation to performing functions related to
criminological research
d) amounts of any gifts given or bequests made for the purposes of the CR Special
Account
This provision replicates subsection 46(3) of the CR Act, with amendments to reflect the
merged agency structure. It is not intended to change the effect of subsection 46(3) of the
CR Act.
For example, under paragraph 46(3)(c) of the CR Act, amounts received by the AIC in
relation to performing any of its functions under that Act must be credited to the CR Special
Account. New subsection 59G(c) intends to replicate paragraph 46(3)(c) of the CR Act, with
amendments as required to reflect changed agency arrangements. That is, new subsection
59G(c) refers to:
the 'ACC' instead of the 'Institute', since the AIC will be merged with the ACC
through this Act, and
amounts received 'in relation to performing functions relating to criminological
research', rather than 'performing any functions under the Act', as the ACC has much
broader functions under the ACC Act than what the AIC had under the CR Act.
Section 59H - Purposes of the CR Special Account
New section 59H sets out the purposes for which the CR Special Account may be debited.
Under new section 59H, the CR Special Account may be debited for the following purposes:
a) paying or discharging the costs, expenses and other obligations incurred by the
Commonwealth in the performance of the ACC's functions related to criminological
research
b) paying any remuneration and allowances payable to any person under the ACC Act
connected to the ACC's functions related to criminological research
c) meeting the expenses of administering the CR Special Account
d) paying any amount that is required or permitted to be repaid
e) reducing the balance of the CR Special Account (and, therefore, the available
appropriation for the CR Special Account) without making a real or notional payment.
This provision is intended to replicate subsection 46(4) of the CR Act, with amendments as
required to reflect changed agency arrangements.
For example, paragraph 46(4)(b) of the CR Act allows the CR Special Account to be debited
for the purpose of any remuneration and allowances payable to a person under that Act. New
subsection 59H(b) enables the CR Special Account to be debited for the purposes of paying
any remuneration and allowances payable to any person under the ACC Act connected to the
ACC's functions related to criminological research.
The additional requirement in new subsection 59H(b) that remuneration or allowances must
be connected to the ACC's criminological research functions reflects the fact that the ACC
has much broader functions under the ACC Act than the AIC had under the CR Act, and that
these may require the payment of remuneration or allowances. Without the link to
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criminological research functions, subsection 59H(b) would enable the CR Special Account
to be debited for a much broader range of purposes, which is not the intention of the
provision.
Schedule 2 - Repeals
GENERAL OUTLINE
The purpose of Schedule 2 is to repeal the Criminology Research Act 1971. As a result of the
amendments made to the ACC Act, the provisions of the CR Act are no longer required.
Criminology Research Act 1971
Item 1 - The whole of the Act
This item repeals the Criminology Research Act 1071..
This item will abolish the AIC as a statutory agency and remove the requirement for there to
be a Director of the AIC.
The Criminology Research Advisory Council will no longer be a statutory body. Under the
merged agency structure, the Advisory Council may continue as a non-legislated body
providing advice to the ACC CEO and ACC Board.
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